Semiconductor wafer boat with reduced wafer contact area

Abstract

A boat for semiconductor wafers has reduced contact surface area with the wafer, thereby preventing distortion of the wafer during heating. The boat has an upper member; a lower member, a plurality of wafers being loaded between the upper member and the lower member; and a plurality of support members vertically extended between and connecting the upper member to the lower member for supporting the wafers. A plurality of slots are successively and horizontally formed in each of the support members, and the peripheral edge of the wafer is inserted therein, wherein a hemisphere-shaped protrusion is formed inside the slot, and the bottom surface of the wafer contacts and is supported by each hemisphere-shaped protrusion at a single contact point.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A boat for housing semiconductor wafers comprising: an upper member;   a lower member;   a plurality of support members vertically extended between and connecting the upper member to the lower member for supporting the wafers; and   a plurality of slots successively and horizontally formed in each of the support members, each slot having a hemisphere-shaped protrusion formed on a lower surface thereof, wherein a peripheral edge of a wafer is inserted into the slot such that a bottom surface of the wafer contacts and is supported by the hemisphere-shaped protrusion.   
     
     
       2. The boat for semiconductor wafers of claim 1, wherein the hemisphere-shaped protrusion and the support member are made of a common material. 
     
     
       3. The boat for semiconductor wafers of claim 1, wherein the hemisphere-shaped protrusion is welded into the slot of the support member. 
     
     
       4. A boat for housing semiconductor wafers comprising: an upper member;   a lower member;   a plurality of support members vertically extended between and connecting the upper member to the lower member for supporting the wafers; and   a plurality of ring-shaped mounting plates vertically stacked and supported between the support members at a constant interval from each other, each ring-shaped mounting plate having an upper base surface, and a protrusion protruding from said upper base surface and extending along said upper base surface as a ring encircling a central area of the boat, the ring-shaped protrusion of each of said mounting plates having a semicircular cross section so as to provide an annular line of contact at the top thereof, wherein a bottom surface of a wafer inserted between two adjacent mounting plates contacts and is supported by the annular line of contact provided at the top of the ring-shaped protrusion.   
     
     
       5. The boat for semiconductor wafers of claim 4, wherein the ring-shaped protrusion and the ring-shaped mounting plate are made of a common material. 
     
     
       6. The boat for semiconductor wafers of claim 4, wherein the ring-shaped protrusion is welded onto the ring-shaped mounting plate.